Other in Martin County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Martin County, we compared 690 Other cases with public defenders against 699 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 2.5 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

37.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
690 cases
40.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
699 cases
+2.5 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 2.5 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Martin County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 690 699 817
Dismissal Rate 37.7% 40.2% 59.2%
Conviction Rate 57.2% 57.2% 36.0%
Guilty Rate 50.1% 47.5% 19.6%
Adjudication Withheld 7.1% 9.7% 16.4%
Diversion Rate 0.7% 0.7% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 2.2 years 3.3 years 6.6 months
Avg Fine $337.50 $627.27 $205.17
Avg Probation 1 year, 10 months 2.2 years 1 year, 10 months

Important context: Correlation is not causation. Private attorney clients may differ from public defender clients in income, prior criminal history, charge severity, and willingness to go to trial. These factors independently affect outcomes. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Other is 10.7% with public defenders and 19.5% with private attorneys (8.8 point difference). Martin County's 2.5 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Martin County 37.7% 40.2% +2.5 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Martin County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 1,172 0.6% 1,139 0.4%
Drug Possession 1,135 8.3% 911 4.9%
DUI 527 0.2% 751 0.8%
Larceny / Theft 579 1.7% 366 0.3%
Sex Offense 449 0.4% 491 0.0%
Resisting Officer 458 2.8% 273 0.4%
Escape / Failure to Appear 567 48.5% 140 54.3%
Battery 455 4.4% 226 3.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Martin County, private attorney clients have a 40.2% dismissal rate for Other compared to 37.7% for public defender clients. This is a 2.5 percentage point difference based on 1,389 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Martin County is 57.2% with a public defender and 57.2% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 10.7% for public defenders and 19.5% for private attorneys. Martin County's difference of 2.5 points compares to a statewide difference of 8.8 points.

Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: March 2026

Important: Differences in outcomes between public defenders and private attorneys may reflect differences in case complexity, defendant resources, charge severity, and other factors — not solely attorney quality. These statistics do not predict individual case outcomes.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,389 cases analyzed · Martin County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026